Mauno Vannas (1891-1964) was professor of ophthalmology at the University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Vannas was a great opportunist and surgeon. The scissors he designed for use in intraocular surgery are popular and used to this day.

In 1971, a medal depicting Vannas was made in honor of his 70th birthday. It was designed by the artist Oskari Jauhiainen. The obverse depicts his bust facing left. The reverse depicts a stylized eye, the sun, and a von Graefe knife.